Toledo Inn is not a hotel of my choice. It comes as part of the package arranged by our travel agent in Medan ( Narasindo).
After a 40 minutes boat ride from Parapat, we finally reached Toledo Inn, a hotel built right to the edge of the lake.
Arrival at Toledo Inn.
The hotel reception is housed in a building of its own. We asked for a room with lake view and our request was granted.
This is the reception lounge.
WIFI is not available in the hotel rooms. However there is an internet room where internet service is available at a reasonably cheap rate.
There is only one restaurant in the hotel.
There is no swimming pool or gym but there is a karaoke.
A walk beyond the karaoke area will lead you to a quiet village with a few small shops and restaurants.
There is a convention hall.
There are many sitting places with roofs like these where you can just relax and enjoy the lake.
Stairs like this are positioned at a few areas for those interested in swimming in the lake. I do not see any life guards. Neither are hotel guests provided with safety jackets. Since the lake is deep, swimming is probably at your own risk.
There is a concrete slab for those who just want to sit in the water and get drenched.
There are a few interesting corners in the resort. This is one of them.
This island-like extension into the lake is another interesting corner.
This resort is quite beautiful,actually.
I managed to capture a beautiful sunset picture at Toledo Inn.
When it is not choppy, the lake is very clear and you can see fishes swimming in it.
A crane resting by the lake.
We had 2 meals at the resort. Dinner was satisfactory. Breakfast was very simple with fried rice, fried vermicelli, bread, egg and coffee.
Accommodation units are in the form of chalets. Seen in this picture are 4 units of chalet: two on the first floor and two on the ground floor.
These chalets look nice with the traditional Batak roofs.
We stayed on the first floor with a fairly good view of the lake.
View from the balcony of our room.
The resort is quite beautiful as mentioned. For that "resort-like" atmosphere I'll rate Toledo Inn "A-". However my rating for the room dropped to a C as I found many things wanting.
Firstly, there is no fan or air-conditioner in the room. It was a little humid and I could not sleep till after mid-night. (ie till the weather became slightly cooler). My leg itched whole night and I was wondering whether this has to do with the cleanliness of the bed sheet.
Security is found wanting too. The window is long and low and it is easy for outsiders to walk into the room. Furthermore no safety box is provided.
A jug of hot water and 2 empty glasses are provided. There are no cups, spoons, or mineral water.
A cupboard with 3 hangers are provided. There is no laundry bag.
There is a heater, but no hair-dryer.
There are two toothbrushes and 2 pieces of soap but there is no shower cap or shampoo. The sink tap is loose.
The washroom floor, wall and the mirror need scrubbing and polishing.
The towels are seasoned and the floor rug is torn. Even though it is not expensive to stay here( I actually checked out the rate) I would definitely pay more to stay in a better hotel if given the choice.
Click to read the sequels to this post:
No comments :
Post a Comment